In the second game of the team’s three-game road trip, the No. 8 Florida soccer team fell to Ohio State in a 1-0 overtime loss on Sunday.
The match, the first to ever feature the Gators (1-1-0) and Buckeyes (2-0-0), produced zero goals in the first 90 minutes in Columbus, Ohio.
However, OSU ended the game early in the overtime period when forward Nichelle Prince received a through ball from Lindsay Agnew, subsequently striking the ball past redshirt junior goalkeeper Valerie Tysinger at the near post in the 95th minute.
The Gators found themselves unable to find an offensive spark for most of the first half, but the final 10 minutes saw a Savannah Jordan header punched out by Buckeyes goalie Jillian McVicker as well as a 20-yard shot by freshman Briana Solis that fell wide right of the goal.
Though the second half ended scoreless, both teams garnered offensive momentum throughout the final 45 minutes of regulation.
UF and OSU combined for nine shots in the half compared to five total attempts in the first half.
Freshman Melanie Monteagudo headed a Christen Westphal corner kick on goal in the 83rd minute, but the attempt hit the top of the crossbar.
The biggest threat to the Gators in regulation came in the final 10 seconds of the second half when Prince, who had a game-high six shots, weaved her way to a one-on-one showdown with Tysinger, but the Gators’ keeper was able to quell the attempt.
Despite the Gators lack of scoring on offense, Westphal and fellow senior defender Claire Falknor were able to hold down the backline with consistency, stopping most of Ohio State’s advances up the field.
For both Westphal and Falknor, the game was played in their home state, with Westphal hailing from Brecksville, Ohio, and Falknor from Dayton, Ohio.
The tough loss wasn't the result Florida head coach Becky Burleigh was looking for, but she was able to identify a bright spot in the defeat.
"I feel that you are going to learn a lot more from your losses than you do from your wins," Burleigh said.
Burleigh also highlighted the challenge presented in playing a Sunday game on the road following a night game earlier in the weekend against in-state rival UCF, as the Gators grabbed a 2-0 road win from the Knights on Friday night.
The Gators will not have that problem for its next tilt, as the team will travel to Coral Gables for a game against Miami on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Follow Kyle Brutman on Twitter @KBrut13
UF defender Christen Westphal dribbles during Florida's 2-1 win against Troy in an exhibition match on Aug. 11 at the soccer practice field at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
